1 Samuel 7:9–17

⁹Then Samuel^x took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him.^y

¹⁰While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered^z with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic^a that they were routed before the Israelites. ¹¹The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Kar.

¹²Then Samuel took a stone^b and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer,^bc saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

¹³So the Philistines were subdued^d and they stopped invading Israel’s territory. Throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines. ¹⁴The towns from Ekron^e to Gath that the Philistines had captured from Israel were restored to Israel, and Israel delivered the neighboring territory from the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.^f

¹⁵Samuel^g continued as Israel’s leader^h allⁱ the days of his life. ¹⁶From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel^j to Gilgal^k to Mizpah, judging^l Israel in all those places. ¹⁷But he always went back to Ramah,^m where his home was, and there he also held courtⁿ for Israel. And he built an altar^o there to the Lord.